Porsche's 'baby' Boxster?

This new 'baby' Porsche Boxster could be an exciting result of the merger between Porsche and Volkswagen.

Our artist's impression shows what the 'new 914' could look like when it arrives – which could be as soon as 2012.

Merger sparks rumoursAlthough there's been no official confirmation of the car, the rumour-mill has been in top gear since Porsche and Volkswagen agreed to merge earlier this year.

With greater access to Volkswagen technology, the entry-level Porsche could easily be developed on the same platform as the VW Concept Blue Sport that was shown at the Detroit motor show at the beginning of the year.

That means the 'baby' Boxster would be mid-engined and rear-wheel drive, like its bigger brother.

Smaller engines requiredLight-weight construction means the car wouldn't need overly powerful engines. The 178bhp diesel in the BlueSport concept blasted it from 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 140mph.

Petrol engine candidates for the Porsche include the 158bhp and 207bhp 1.4- and 2.0-litre TSI engines used in other sporty models such as the Volkswagen Scirocco.

To maximise the value of the mid-engined platform, the Volkswagen Group could use it for the rumoured Audi R4. Look to the e-tron electric concept shown by Audi at the Frankfurt motor show last September for an idea of what that could look like.

The only bad news is that a 'baby' Boxster is likely to push up the price of its bigger sibling. Reports suggest the entry-level Porsche would cost from about £33,000, so the Boxster could start to nudge £40,000.